Les Belles Amours by Louise de Vilmorin (tr. It’s an intriguing novel, ideal for lovers of dark, well-crafted fiction with a psychological edge. Even though Walter knows his actions are truly reckless, he goes ahead with them anyway, irrespective of the tragic consequences. The novel revolves around Walter Stackhouse, a frazzled, thirty-year-old lawyer whose life is being made a misery by his wife, Clara, a successful yet neurotic real estate agent. There is an inherent dichotomy in the central protagonist’s personality, which is both believable and fascinating to observe. In this instance, Highsmith is particularly strong on exploring the point at which idle curiosity tips over into an unhealthy obsession, signalling the point of no return. This very compelling noir sees Highsmith in familiar territory, exploring themes of guilt, obsession and the possibility that an ordinary, everyday man might resort to murder if pushed far enough. I would strongly recommend Irene Ash’s 1955 version – it’s more vivacious than the Lloyd, a style that perfectly complements the story’s palpable atmosphere and mood. My review is based on Heather Lloyd’s 2013 translation, but if you’re thinking of reading this one. Sagan’s novella is an utterly compelling read with a dramatic denouement. Everything is leisurely and glorious until another person arrives on the scene, the glamorous and sophisticated Anne, whose very presence threatens to disrupt Cécile’s idyllic life with her father. Seventeen-year-old Cécile is spending the summer on the Cote d’Azur with her father, Raymond, and his latest lover, Elsa. Heather Lloyd)Ī quintessential summer read, Bonjour Tristesse is an irresistible story of love, frivolity and the games a young girl plays with others people’s emotions, all set against the background of the glamorous French Riviera. Another strikingly creative work from one of Britain’s most singular writers – a darkly humorous novel of great brilliance and originality with an allegorical nod to the First World War.īonjour Tristesse by Francois Sagan (tr. Set in 1911, three years before the advent of the First World War, Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead has all the hallmarks of a classic Comyns novel: enchanting, innocent children caught up in a dysfunctional family memorable, vivid imagery, typically with an off-kilter edge and a simple, matter-of-fact delivery that belies the horrors within.

There is something distinctly English about the world that Barbara Comyns portrays here, a surreal eccentricity that could only be found within the England of old. Who Was Changed and Who Was Deadby Barbara Comyns

Faces in the Dark by Boileau-Narcejac